2017 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”

In 1936, Quincy became the first Loire wine to earn AOC status, second in all of France only to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Thanks to the sandy soils and warm microclimate, the Sauvignon Blanc here is able to ripen more fully than in better-known villages such as Sancerre to the north. At Domaine Trotereau, Pierre Ragon is blessed with vines over 100 years old that are still producing exceptional fruit. Lush, aromatic, and zingy, Pierre’s old-vine Quincy has a mouth-coating texture and charming notes of tangerine that are certain to earn this great appellation the following it deserves.

About The Producer

Domaine Trotereau

As recently as 50 years ago, the wines of Quincy were more recognized in France for their quality than Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, and commanded a higher price. Today the appellation has largely faded from recognition, with cave cooperatives buying up land at pennies on the dollar. Most make bracing, nervy Sauvignons in a typical style that can be produced anywhere. There are precious few willing to take risks to craft the type of wine that made Quincy famous. Pierre Ragon of Domaine Trotereau has been making wines only their terroir can produce since he took the reins in 1973. He is blessed with vines over 100 years old that are still producing exceptional fruit. With pride and excitement, we bring you the real deal from Quincy.

About Loire

The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?

Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.

Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.

Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.

Vintage Chart Mentality

Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch

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Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant is an Importer and Retailer of fine French and Italian wine.
As well as selling wine online, we also sell in real life at our Berkeley Shop.
All of our wine is personally selected and imported directly from our producers.
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